Incredible work from Nico – easily one of her most haunting albums ever, and a huge step forward even from the sublime Chelsea Girl record! John Cale produced and arranged the album, and plays some extra-spooky harmonium throughout – an instrument that's got the same low, dead tones as Nico's vocals – which makes for a wonderfully haunting blend! Parts of the record echo the minimal explorations that Cale did with Terry Riley, but in a different way – with heroin definitely playing strongly as part of the aesthetic. The album's a gem through and through – definitely one of the few crucial solo works from Nico – and titles include "My Only Child", "All That Is My Own", "Afraid", "Janitor Of Lunacy", and "Abschied". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live performance from these three key members of the Velvet Underground – reunited on stage for a televised concert in Paris in 1972, and sounding really amazing together! Although Lou's star was the highest at the time, and Cale was releasing some incredible solo material, the overall vibe is maybe in the moody slowness of some of Nico's own recordings – very dark and spare, given that most of the instrumentation is just Cale on piano and viola, Reed on guitar, and Nico on harmonium – that spooky instrument that always seemed to bring out the best in her vocals! The whole thing is a key addition to both the Velvet Underground catalog, and the solo work of the three at the time – with titles that include "Berlin", "Black Angel's Death Song", "Heroin", "Ghost Story", "Janitor Of Lunacy", "I'll Be Your Mirror", "The Biggest Loudest Hairiest Group Of All", "Frozen Warnings", "Wild Child", "Empty Bottle", and "All Tomorrow's Parties". CD

Incredible work from Nico – easily one of her most haunting albums ever, and a huge step forward even from the sublime Chelsea Girl record! John Cale produced and arranged the album, and plays some extra-spooky harmonium throughout – an instrument that's got the same low, dead tones as Nico's vocals – which makes for a wonderfully haunting blend! Parts of the record echo the minimal explorations that Cale did with Terry Riley, but in a different way – with heroin definitely playing strongly as part of the aesthetic. The album's a gem through and through – definitely one of the few crucial solo works from Nico – and titles include "My Only Child", "All That Is My Own", "Afraid", "Janitor Of Lunacy", and "Abschied". LP, Vinyl record album

Extremely haunting early work from Nico – a set that really has her stepping forward on the path to solo greatness! The album's only Nico's second solo album – after the legendary Chelsea Girls for Verve – but it's got a spark, stark, totally-drained quality that's immediately gripping. John Cale handled production, and he's working here with Nico in a junkie haze of violin, harmonium, and other jagged instrumentation – all set to perfectly balance against the flatness and lack of emotion in the vocals, in a way that still sends chills up our spine every time we hear it! The whole thing's great – and titles include "Julius Caesar", "Evening Of Light", "Lawns Of Dawn", "Ari's Song", "Facing The Wind", and "Frozen Warnings". LP, Vinyl record album

The magnificent voice of Chris Connelly serves up a sublime tribute to the work of Nico – a set that's not a reworking of just her key classics, but which also includes a huge amount of original new songs by Chris as well! Connelly put together the double length set after being inspired by the book on Nico, You Are Beautiful & You Are Alone – and the spirit of that well-penned biography really moves throughout the tracks, as Chris balances his own originals with really different takes on the Nico tunes – all at a level that really comes across like some modern day masterpiece that feels like it was years in the making! If you've never heard Connelly sing, you'll be blown away – and the setting of the whole project really seems to have him at his best – in a selection of two dozen songs that include "Ripcord Ripcord", "The Last Mile", "Union Square West", "Eulogy To Lenny Bruce", "I Cannot Care For You", "The Falconer", "The Black Rooms Of Richeleiu", "Reims 12/74", "A Slow Jones In New York", "Running Pure", and "Andy Incidentally". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Delicate dissonance, bruised beauty, and hazy noise pop – all in one of the best rock albums ever made – the amazing first album from the Velvet Underground and Nico! The album's the stuff of legend – and for good reason, too – a surprising slab of vinyl that barely set the world on its ear when first issued back in the mid 60s – yet a record that's gone onto have an influence felt for decades to come – arguably one of the most important rock records of all time. There's a really sinister edge to the record, even when things are sweet – and the range of subject matter and handling here is brilliant – from the dream pop slice of heaven "Sunday Morning", the melodic bitterness of "Femme Fatale", the massive White Light-esque freakout "European Son", and the sublime "Heroin" – quite possibly the inspiration for generations of drug use to come. The whole thing's a classic – with wonderful vocals from both Nico and Lou Reed – and titles include "Venus In Furs", "Run Run Run", "Black Angel's Death Song", "I'll Be Your Mirror", and "All Tomorrow's Parties". LP, Vinyl record album

Delicate dissonance, bruised beauty, and hazy noise pop – all in one of the best rock albums ever made – the amazing first album from the Velvet Underground and Nico! The album's the stuff of legend – and for good reason, too – a surprising slab of vinyl that barely set the world on its ear when first issued back in the mid 60s – yet a record that's gone onto have an influence felt for decades to come – arguably one of the most important rock records of all time. There's a really sinister edge to the record, even when things are sweet – and the range of subject matter and handling here is brilliant – from the dream pop slice of heaven "Sunday Morning", the melodic bitterness of "Femme Fatale", the massive White Light-esque freakout "European Son", and the sublime "Heroin" – quite possibly the inspiration for generations of drug use to come. The whole thing's a classic – with wonderful vocals from both Nico and Lou Reed – and titles include "Venus In Furs", "Run Run Run", "Black Angel's Death Song", "I'll Be Your Mirror", and "All Tomorrow's Parties". CD

The second album from one of the most unique voices in British music in the 60s – a really sublime little set that moves beyond familiar folk, rock, and pop – to put Marianne Faithfull in a mighty special place that's all her own! Right from the very first note of her voice, Marianne's out to sound way different than the rest – with a darkness that almost echoes the solo work of Nico, but a warmer sound that still holds on to some of the previous Brit mode that inform the album. Arrangements are totally great – penned by David Whittaker, Mike Leander, and Jon Mark – conducted by Leander with an eerie sound that's really amazing. Titles include "Come & Stay With Me", "As Tears Go By", "Down Town", "I'm A Loser", "What Have I Done Wrong", "They Never Will Leave You", and "He'll Come Back To Me". CD features 6 bonus cuts – "I'd Like to Dial Your Number", "Morning Sun", "Greensleeves", "House Of The Rising Sun", "The Sha La La Song", and "Oh Look Around You". CD

A really great idea for a book on records – and one that's completely different than most that we've seen before! Unlike other books of this nature, which are filled with "essential" or "classic" records – this book is full of flops, or records that never really hit the heights, but which are pretty darn great overall! In the eyes of the authors – and our eyes too – all of these records are under-acknowledged gems – some by big names, others by more obscure artists – lots of which never got their full due at the time. The book is filled with some of our favorite records of all time – which is a big hats off to the long list of contributors, who include Miriam Linna, Steve Shelly, Peter Holsapple, Russ Titelman, Marshall Crenshaw, Bob Irwin, Lenny Kaye, and many others – who've come up with a set of essays on titles that include The Living Legend by Baby Huey, Gene Clark & The Gosdin Brothers, Continued by Tony Joe White, Delta Sweete by Bobby Gentry, Entertainment by Family, Desertshore by Nico, Young Mod's Forgotten Story by The Impressions, Roots by The Everly Brothers, Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt, and lots lots more! The book is filled with records that we love, and that we'd now call classic – served up in a hefty softcover edition that's almost 400 pages in length, with black and white images throughout. Book

Maybe one of the first truly tuneful moments from Yoko Ono – working here with backing from the Elephants Memory group – on a double-length set that shows a really great range from the singer! Yoko's vocals are fragile and sometimes a bit strained in the traditionally structured song mode –but so were Nico's and Marianne Faithful's – both artists we'd almost reference for the nature of this work! The set's a surprisingly pleasant effort from a misunderstood artist who just 2 years earlier was shrieking like a feral beast – and titles include "Yang Yang", "Death Of Samantha", "I Want My Love To Rest Tonight", "What Did I Do", "What A Bastard The World Is", "I Felt Like Smashing My Face In A Clear Glass Window", and "Is Winter Here To Stay". LP, Vinyl record album

The final issue of this wonderful publication, and one that really has them going out with a bang – as they explore the nature of the creative process through conversations with a host of different individuals, somehow linked together in their ongoing pursuit of untapped territory! The issue features articles with poet Eileen Myles, painter Albert Oehlen, dancer Patricia Nicholson Parker, composer Nico Muhly, sound artist Ellen Fullman, bassist Brandon Lopez, percussionist Lesley Mok, and pastry chef Natasha Pickowicz – all with the thoughtful presentation that has made the previous 29 issues so great. Magazine

Music from Prince Nico Mbarga & Rocafil Jazz International, Papa Noel, Oliver Tuku Mutukudzi, Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens, Les Troubadours Du Roi Baudouin, Cissoko, Diogal, Simentera, Mose Fan Fan, and more. CD

A wide-ranging set, and one that really gets at the influence of the music of Lou Reed over the years – as the collection brings together songs penned by Reed from back in the day, but which continue to get new handling by a variety of artists in more recent decades! As some folks know, Lou first started out as a songwriter – knocking out tunes for no-name groups issued on budget labels – and although the music of the Velvet Underground and Reed's solo work could sometimes get way-out, at the core there were always all these really great songs – the kinds of tunes that are featured here, on interpretations from a really great array of different groups and singers! As with other titles in this series from Ace, the notes are great – lots of history and other details too – to accompany a set list of 20 titles that include "What Goes On" by Bryan Ferry, "Pale Blue Eyes" by Alejandro Escovedo, "Run Run Run" by Echo & The Bunnymen, "I'm Waiting For The Man" by Beck, "We Are The People" by Iggy Pop, "Rock & Roll" by Detroit, "Sunday Morning" by Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs, "I'll Be Your Mirror" by The Primitives, "New Age" by Rachel Sweet, "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" by Nico, "Perfect Day" by Kirsty MacColl & Evan Dando, "Vicious" by Lloyd Cole, "Train Round The Bend" by The Soft Boys, "Femme Fatale" by Tracey Thorn, "I'm Set Free" by Yo La Tengo, "Walk On The Wild Side" by The Dynamics, and "All Tomorrow's Parties" by June Tabor & Oyster Band. CD

The second album from one of the most unique voices in British music in the 60s – a really sublime little set that moves beyond familiar folk, rock, and pop – to put Marianne Faithfull in a mighty special place that's all her own! Right from the very first note of her voice, Marianne's out to sound way different than the rest – with a darkness that almost echoes the solo work of Nico, but a warmer sound that still holds on to some of the previous Brit mode that inform the album. Arrangements are totally great – penned by David Whittaker, Mike Leander, and Jon Mark – conducted by Leander with an eerie sound that's really amazing. Titles include "Come & Stay With Me", "As Tears Go By", "Down Town", "I'm A Loser", "What Have I Done Wrong", "They Never Will Leave You", and "He'll Come Back To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the earliest work we've ever heard from German tenorist Joki Freund – a player who'd trip out a bit more in later years, but who blows here with a sound that's sharp, modern, and very swinging throughout! The group features trombone from Albert Mangelsdorff, who's also on the straighter side of the spectrum here – plus alto from Emil Mangelsdorff, sounding a lot more modern than on other recordings – really matching the energy of both hornmen, as they all step out in a piano-less group that only features the bass of Harry Schell and drums of Rudi Sehring on rhythm! The music has echoes of better-known 50s modernists – like Lee Konitz or Jimmy Giuffre on our side of the Atlantic, or Hans Koller in Freund's German scene – and the package features live material from a 1957 album, plus additional studio tracks from the rare Joki's Sparkle EP. Titles include "Nico", "Freund Point", "Vie La France", "Swinging Pigeons", "Domicile", "Rudy's Theme", and "From Lighthouse To Frankfurt". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's as beautiful and ethereal as the image on its cover – a collaboration between singer Dorothy Moskowitz and composer Francesco Paolo Paladino – served up in a mode that almost mixes the darker corners of Nico's solo work with some of the spacier tones of the early new age underground, and maybe a touch of Laurie Anderson performativity as well! Moskowitz was originally part of the famous United States Of America group of the late 60s with Joseph Byrd – but she's clearly transformed a lot as an artist here, and works with lyrics by Luca Chino Ferrari, but often in ways that are less word-based than you might expect. Instrumentation includes keyboards, harp, and bells from Paladino, plus light strings, guitar, electronics, and guitar – all in a spacey blend that comes off especially well on the 23 minute "Under An Endless Sky", and still sounds great on shorter cuts that include "My Doomsday Serenade", "The Disappearance Of Fireflies", "Cut The Roots", and "Unknown To Ourselves". CD

An album of fragile beauty and buried darkness – in a space that's somewhere between the work of Nico and Brigitte Fontaine, but a fair bit sweeter overall! Emmanuelle Parrenin sings here in a timeless style that might almost be called folksy – especially in the return to tradition styles of the UK 70s scene – but it's also got a slightly headier feel overall, almost trippy at times, with a sense of crumbling innocence that's further underscored by spare instrumentation that includes hurdy-gurdy, spinet, and dulcimer. Most tunes just feature vocals and some combination of these instruments – and a few numbers feature slightly larger backing, but never a full group mode. Titles include "Ritournelle", "Leiturgie", "Copraze", "Lecharpe De Soie", "Ce Matin A Fremontel", and "Belle Virginie". CD features two bonus tracks – "17 Decembre" and "La Foret Bleue". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A haunting little western score from Bruno Nicolai – one with some great sensitive moments that really deepen the sound! There's a few driving numbers that are more of what you'd expect from a western at the time – but much of the score features these slow moving, sad-tinged instrumentals that are really beautiful – unfolding gently, often with a light guitar line, a bit of keyboards, and especially some flute (or is it recorder?) – moving moodily forward in a really nice way. Tension builds a bit as the set moves on, but never overwhelms – and the CD features 21 tracks in all, with great remastering! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Raul Seixas follows a similar path as Rita Lee, Caetano Veloso, and other important Brazilian artists of the 70s – and uses this live date to really pay tribute to the American music of the past that inspired his crazier work at the time – taking older songs of the 50s and 60s, but delivering them with some of the rawer energy he was bringing to his own tunes! Lyrics move between English and Portuguese effortlessly – as Raul takes on tunes that include "Roll Over Beethoven", "So Glad You're Mine", "My Baby Left Me", "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans", and "Blue Moon/Asa Branca". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous debut from Tunico – a record that seems certain to begin an amazing legacy in Brazilian music – at a level that has this young musician easily rivaling some of our favorites from the past! The set's got this way of mixing earthy roots with very modern arrangements – all set to warmly jazzy instrumentation, at a level that recalls some of our favorite early 70s experiments by artists like Edu Lobo, Hermeto Pascoal, or Airto – especially the latter two right after they'd left the group Quarteto Novo! Tunico himself plays guitar, and both alto and soprano sax – and the tunes have this way of soaring and gliding wonderfully – rhythms that are very organic, but inflected with all sorts of other unusual phrasing on instruments by the leader and other members of the group – more guitar, plus keyboards, flute, bass, and plenty of percussion. The whole thing's extremely beautiful, with a quality that's hard to put into words – and titles include "Decolagem", "Sambola", "Solar Das Hortencias", "Saudade Do Sucupira", "Galope", and "O Que Vira". CD

A tremendous debut from Tunico – a record that seems certain to begin an amazing legacy in Brazilian music – at a level that has this young musician easily rivaling some of our favorites from the past! The set's got this way of mixing earthy roots with very modern arrangements – all set to warmly jazzy instrumentation, at a level that recalls some of our favorite early 70s experiments by artists like Edu Lobo, Hermeto Pascoal, or Airto – especially the latter two right after they'd left the group Quarteto Novo! Tunico himself plays guitar, and both alto and soprano sax – and the tunes have this way of soaring and gliding wonderfully – rhythms that are very organic, but inflected with all sorts of other unusual phrasing on instruments by the leader and other members of the group – more guitar, plus keyboards, flute, bass, and plenty of percussion. The whole thing's extremely beautiful, with a quality that's hard to put into words – and titles include "Decolagem", "Sambola", "Solar Das Hortencias", "Saudade Do Sucupira", "Galope", and "O Que Vira". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Essentially the US release of Nicola Conte's Jet Sounds LP on Schema – with a few different tracks, but mostly the same lineup. Conte's a genius, and the album's a breathtaking mix of 60s bossa, soundtrack, and easy themes – put together with never a dull moment, and always a focus on the kind of mid and uptempo grooves that have been pushing the Italian and German scenes for the last 5 years. The record features tracks from a few of Nicola's 12" singles, plus a wealth of excellent new material that really expands his groove wonderfully – with a totally real, totally honest sound that pushes past the gazillion retro remix throwaway albums that you'll find stuffing the listening stations at the megastores! Tracks include "Fucco Fatuo", "Il Cerchio Rosso", "Dossier Omega", "Arabesque", "Mambo De Los Dandies", "Jazz Pour Dadine", and "The In Samba". CD

The genius of Nicola Conte gets the remix treatment – in this wonderful new album that steps off heavily from his massive Jet Sounds set of a few years ago! If you know Nicola, he's the wunderkind behind the Schema label – and, probably more than anyone in the world right now, one of the few producer/musicians who can really handle a retro-sounding groove. Conte's steeped in classic jazz, soundtracks, and bossa nova – all of which come into play in his music – and this set has him working with a host of able talents who help to take his unique creative vision even farther than before! US version features a slightly different track list than the European one – with titles that include "Arabesque (vocal version)" done by Micatone, "Forma 2000" reformed by Les Gammas, "Tema In Hi Fi" by Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella, "Jet Sounds" by Nuspirit Helsinki, "Bossa Per Due" by Thievery Corporation, "Fuoco Fatuo" by Koop, "New Standards" by Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella, "Love Me Till Sunday" by Nicola Conte, "Dossier Omega" redone by Espen Horne, "The In Samba" done by Kyoto Jazz Massive, "Missione A Bombay" by Eddy & Dus, and "Mambo De Los Dandies" by Gerardo Frisina. CD

Richly soulful sounds from Nicola Conte – his first album for Far Out Records, but a set that shows the spiritual journey he's been on for the past decade or so on a variety of other labels! Conte has really matured into a jazz visionary – using the same energy here with live musicians that he used to bring to studio projects – in a warm blend of classic soulful styles, with work from an excellent lineup that includes Zara McFarlane and Myles Sanko on vocals, Alberto Parmegiani on guitar, Timo Lassy on tenor, Simon Mullier on vibes, Milena Jancuric on flute, and Ameen Saleem on bass. All players are wonderful – pushing past anything we might have expected – and McFarlane is especially great on the record, almost hitting heights that feel like Dee Dee Bridgewater back in the day! Titles include "Arise", "Dance Of Love & Peace", "Flying Circles", "Freedom & Progress", "Soul Of The People", "Into The Light Of Love", "Umoja Unity", and "Heritage". CD

Two great cuts get a nice warming-over! Tall Black Guy takes the mix of acoustic percussion and keyboard lines on "Nigeria", and really deepens the soul – adding vocals from Broken Keys, and coming up with a clubbier vibe for the cut overall – one that has some nice currents for the tribal house crowd! That vibe also continues on "African Spirits" – which gets its beats kicked up by Andres, who also stretches out the tune and really lets it run wild! 12-inch, Vinyl record

2 wicked Latin jazz jammers – both issued here for the first time on vinyl! Nicola Conte's beautiful groover "Nefertiti" may well be one of the best things he ever recorded – a midtempo Latinish number that builds on snapping drums, warm bass, and sweet wordless vocals – drifting into the mix right before the tune's core instrumentation of vibes, piano, and horns kick in! "Gica's Dance" is an equally well-done track – again with more great vibes and percussion – created by Gerardo Frisina in a style that's very similar to that of Conte's. Both tracks only ever appeared on the Freedom Jazz Dance CD – and make for a fantastic single back to back! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

An overlooked set of 80s soul, done in the best tight style of the Portrait label at the time – classy, but with a bit of a bite as well! Titles include "New York Eyes", "Housecalls", "What About Me", "Don't You Want My Love", "Shy Boy", "Always & Forever", and "It Happens Every Night". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of rare bossa nova from the 60s – all put together by Nicola Conte, whose work on the Schema label has done a lot to continue the tradition of the classics! Here, though, Nicola's set loose on the RGE label, and other indies from 60s Brazil – super-rare records that almost never made it to our neck of the woods back in the day, and which always had a super-sharp sound that was even harder and groovier than American work on labels like Verve and Capitol! The cuts here are all wonderful – many of them new to our ears, and filled with great vocals, driving percussion, and plenty of jazzy touches. Titles include "Fora De Hora" by Dalmo Castello, "Voce Que Nao Vem" by O Triangulo, "Sem Fim" by Marisa Baroso, "Chegar De Brigar" by Henrique Benny, "Macumba" by Claudia, "Copa 70" Brasil 40 Graus, "Litoral" by Werther, "Tema Em Do" by Bossa Trio, "Canto Do Quilombo" by Luiz Carlos Sa, "Faz De Conta" by Aizita, "Tokyo Blues" by Octons, and "Samba De Negro" by Carlos Sodre. CD

Three really fantastic musicians – working together to turn out one the best records we've ever heard from any of them in years! Make no mistake, we love these guys in all sorts of other settings – but here, there's something really special, and definitely a cut above – this warm sense of spontaneous creation that almost seems to call up an image of the musicians as they work together – Mike Reed on drums, Tomeka Reid on cello, and Nicole Mitchell on flutes and electronics! There's a magic here that really represents the Chicago scene at its finest – the kind of sympathetic, respectful collaboration in which already-strong artists move each other forward together – a magic we hope you'll share on titles that include "AF", "Reflections", "No Side Effects", "JJ", "Soprano Song", "In Response To", and "Blessed". LP, Vinyl record album

With Don Davis and Tim Moran on saxophones, Tom Schmidt on bow harp, synthesizer, and bass, Karma Sonam Targee on trumpet, and Stephen Walt on bassoon. LP, Vinyl record album